Many people have tried 1  to put down putting down giving up to give up  smoking at some point in their lives, and these days many of us 2  attempt attempted are attempting had attempted  to stop taking 3  other another others the other  substance which is not cigarettes, but which 4  should might can is able to  be killing the same number of people 5  that so than as  tobacco, or even more. I am talking about sugar.

When I went to the doctor five years ago, he told me that sugar 6  would was will shall  kill me one day if I didn’t avoid 7  eating eat to eating to eat  it. My only chance of long-term survival, said the doctor, was 8  setting down cutting out cutting down putting out  all sugar from my diet. Before that day, I 9  have never tried don't tried had never tried was never trying  to quit anything; 10  however even though so although  , I didn’t think it would be too difficult. “I have achieved difficult things in my life, much more difficult than that,” I thought. It wasn't true.

I didn't know how difficult it was to stop smoking, or drinking alcohol, because I 11  had never been wasn't ever was never  addicted to anything, but when I stopped eating sugar, I realised that sugar is a very powerful drug. I think it 12  must be would have been had been  easier if I had been addicted to nicotine, for example, instead of sugar. The first few weeks or months I 13  used to dreaming was dreaming used to dream  that I was eating chocolate or cakes, and then I woke up in the morning and my body was crying for sugar.

It's been 3 months now, and I 14  have eaten ate have been eating  very, very little sugar in that time; only the added sugar that food manufacturers put in some of their processed products, like bread, tinned tomato, etc. I am very happy because I don't crave sweet things any more, and I  feel 15  much many very  healthier and energetic than a few months ago.

I didn't see anybody behind me, but I knew that I 1  was being followed had being followed was following . It was my instinct, I could feel it. I saw that a bus 2  had just stopped did just stop just stopped  at the bus stop at the end of the street. I ran and 3  had got on got on was getting on  it. I didn't ask the bus driver where 4  it was going did it go was it going  because it didn't matter, I just wanted to 5  get away get out leave away  as fast as possible.

I knew I was in danger. I had put 6  me myself my  in a dangerous situation the day 7  when that which  I had helped a woman in a bar. A man 8  abused physically had physically abused was physically abusing  her when I hit him in the face. When he fell unconscious to the floor, I recognised the tattoos on his arms and neck. He was a member of one of the worst gangs in Los Angeles. The woman looked at me with panic in her eyes. "Go away, please, before his friends 9  arrive will arrive are arriving ," she said. "If they see you, they 10  'll kill 'd kill kill  you. "Do you think he'll remember my face?" I asked her. "I have 11  no none any  doubt," she answered.

Now I was in a bus wondering why I had to punch that man in the face. If I hadn't done that stupid thing, nothing 12  had happened would happen would have happened  to me. I got off the bus after a few blocks and I started walking. I 13  had to should must  do something, but what? That dangerous man had seen my face. "Of course," I thought, "my face!". If that man had seen my face, I just needed a different face, a face that he could not recognise!

Three days later I had plastic surgery and I got a new face. That was a few months ago, and I 14  have been meeting have met meet  the man I attacked a few times since then, and he has no idea who I am. And the best part is that I 15  didn't usually didn't use to usedn't to  like my face, and now I love it!